“Gobbledigook“
from the album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
2008
iTunes
“Gobbledigook” may sound like something Quagmire from “Family Guy” would say before walking into a cathouse. But it’s actually the name of the new single from Sigur Rós, which is available for free download at sigurros.com.
Clocking in at a very un-Sigur Rós-like three minutes, the moderately uptempo track is a bit of a departure from the deliberate, ethereal whale-mating sound that has made the epic Icelandic sonic mavens the country’s biggest export since puffin meat. It’s even — dare we say — catchy.
Sigur Rós’ new album — titled Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, which translates as With a Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly — comes out June 23 in the United States. But fans can get an early listen now that it’s streamed in its entirety at sigurros.com.
The album marks the first time vocalist Jon Thor Birgisson sings in English; “Hopelandic,” the made-up language from previous albums, has gone the way of the viking in favor of everyday Icelandic lyrics.
Með suð í eyrum was produced by Flood and recorded in New York, London and Reykjavik. One track, “Ara Batur,” was recorded live in a single take with the London Sinfonietta and London Oratory Boys Choir. The song features 90 people performing at one time: Only Sigur Rós could get away with such grandiosity.